Russia has announced it is suspending its diplomatic mission to Nato and will strip the accreditation of staff at Nato's Moscow office by November. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the move, describing it as a response to Nato's actions and accusing the alliance of lacking interest in equitable dialogue.
The decision follows Nato's expulsion of eight Russian diplomats earlier this month, whom the alliance accused of being undeclared intelligence officers. Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg cited an increase in Russian malign activity as the reason for the expulsions, which halved the size of Moscow's mission at Nato headquarters in Brussels to ten.
Relations between Nato and Russia have been strained since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. In 2018, Nato expelled Russian diplomats in response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack in the UK and reduced the size of Russia's mission from 30 to 20.
Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu expressed regret over Russia's decision, stating that Nato's policy remains consistent: strengthening deterrence and defence while remaining open to dialogue, including through the Nato-Russia Council. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas described the move as troubling, warning it would seriously damage the relationship.
Lavrov indicated that if Nato members have urgent matters, they can contact Russia's ambassador in Belgium.
